Drop a Brick
by kadu ka
Summary: It was impossible for Ichigo to not do a double-take. Since it had been a rather hot day, Jaegerjaques wasn't wearing a jacket, so that Ichigo was able to see a neatly folded left short sleeve over a covered stump that lacked...well, an arm. Jaegerjaques's deadly scowl that followed Ichigo's double-take sealed their upcoming relationship.


I found this file buried somewhere on my hard drive and even after 3 years, it still does not...suck as much as I expected it would. And the traffic on my other stories is still somewhat going. I'm honestly surprised! So, just for fun, here goes nothing!

Disclaimer: Characters don't belong to me.

Warning: Somehow vanilla-ish? No major drama. And it's huge. Sorry for that. I don't know what I was thinking back in 2012 (I probably started it even earlier than that). I apologize also for mistakes. Fell free to flame me with them.

..

Grimmjow Jaegerjaques popped into his mind.

Ichigo scrunched up his nose. Then he looked into the white porcelain bowl in front of him and he asked himself where that thought had come from. He was relieving himself, for heaven's sake! And his brain had nothing better to do than giving him pictures of that blue haired guy.

He didn't know Jaegerjaques very well. In fact, he merely knew him for three weeks, more precisely, since the day he had started working in the new company, hundreds of miles away from home (for good measure; standing on his own feet; new start, something like that). Jaegerjaques was his boss – bad tempered, demanding, sometimes a little bit frightening, when his bad mood reached new proportions... Maybe Ichigo would have gotten along with him quite well if he hadn't been so stupid and put his foot in his mouth the very first day.

Ichigo sighed once, remembering that particular day as if it were yesterday. Nobody had prepared him for what he would be meeting; so no one could really blame him that his jaw hung open the second he saw his new boss standing tall, scowling in front of his desk to greet him – his one arm came forward to shake Ichigo's hand.

It was impossible for Ichigo to not do a double-take. Since it had been a rather hot day, Jaegerjaques wasn't wearing a jacket, so that Ichigo was able to see a neatly folded left short sleeve over a covered stump that lacked...well, an arm.

Jaegerjaques's deadly scowl that followed Ichigo's double-take sealed their upcoming relationship.

He had been a complete asshole ever since.

In an afterthought, Ichigo couldn't blame him. His boss had to loath the look that had to follow whenever his missing-arm-issue was revealed. It had to be the same look someone in a wheelchair got. Or someone blind. Or someone old and helpless.

When Ichigo buttoned his trousers, he knew why he had been thinking about Jaegerjaques while pissing. Had anyone tried to button their trousers with a single arm? He had broken his once and it had been a pain in the ass whenever he tried to get the button through the hole. He opted to use jogging pants with an elastic band until he got rid of the cast.

Driving a car with one arm? He could be lucky with automatic, but even then it had to be almost hopeless.

Cooking? Could get messy.

Working on a computer? Writing on a computer? Buttering his toast in the morning? Washing dishes? The list could go on and on. Everything might be possible – more or less – but it had to be irritating and unnerving.

Ichigo had already mused whether Jaegerjaques had a wife or not, but he missed the wedding ring on his finger. Perhaps he had a housekeeper? Considering the way he acted around the office (and what kind of stubborn bastard he was), Ichigo almost doubted that as well.

He splashed some water into his face. He should get a grip on himself again instead of worrying and gossiping about his boss's daily routine and hindrances.

When Ichigo exited the bathroom and was about to go back to his working place, he spotted Jaegerjaques standing in the hallway in front of the vending machine. Under his armpit he held a suitcase and tried, at the same time, to get the coffee cup from the machine.

Ichigo gulped silently and walked up to him. "Here, I'll help you," he offered politely and held out his hand.

Jaegerjaques's blue eyes bore into him with a renewed distaste, his lips were pulled downward and, in the next second, steaming hot coffee landed all over Ichigo's right hand and forearm.

..

"I thought you knew better."

Ichigo hissed sharply when the bandage was fastened around his wrist, covering his whole hand. He didn't dare to look up into the scolding eyes.

"Hisagi, please stop it," Ichigo muttered finally. The other man had been saying the same thing the whole time when bandaging Ichigo's hand and the redhead couldn't stand it anymore.

"You work for him almost a month; you know his bad temper, his impulsive actions..."

"Hisagi," Ichigo growled this time.

"And I told you a million times to not call me by my surname. It's Shuuhei!"

Both men fell silent for a minute or two. Ichigo knew Shuuhe Hisagi not very well, too, considering he just moved out of his home a mere month before. Probably, the brunette was the closest thing he could call a friend in this new town.

"You come for lunch?" Shuuhei asked when he was finished, nodding approvingly to his work.

"Sure." Ichigo rearranged his jacket and tried to cover most of the bandage. He was in no mood to explain this to anybody who might dare asking. That Shuuhei knew was enough. "Better I'll just go and grab a sandwich though. Might be easier to eat."

Shuuhei nodded again and put the first aid kit away.

..

Even if they sat in a far corner of the cafeteria, near the window where they could observe the people passing by outside, Ichigo noticed a streak of blue out of the corner of his eye. He took another bit of his sandwich when he silently observed his boss strolling around the buffet where Ichigo had taken the last two sandwiches. He almost felt guilty seeing the frown marring Jaegerjaques's face and he almost contemplated to offer his second sandwich when he thought about the incident a mere hour ago. No, Grimmjow would probably punch him in the nuts before he would take up on his offer.

Come to think about it. When Jaegerjaques wasn't eating something he could easily take in one hand – say a sandwich, a hotdog or whatever – what would he chose? Ichigo chewed on his sandwich more slowly while he asked himself whether Jaegerjaques was able to eat a steak with one arm. How could he probably cut it, when the arm holding the fork to keep the steak steady was missing?

Suddenly Ichigo lost his appetite in his sandwich. He just saw Jaegerjaques sighing irritably before going to the soup counter.

"—car accident."

Ichigo blinked several times and looked back to the group sitting at the same table. A strange glasses wearing guy he had seen once or twice in the office complex smiled mysteriously. "Yeah, I heard that, too. He was driving it, when a truck hit it full speed." He flicked back his hair. "Sounds like attempt on suicide to me."

The group fell silent in awe and brooding.

"He's not the type for suicide," a busty blonde piped in, sticking her fork in and out of her mashed potatoes.

"Yeah, killing others suites him better," Shuuhei muttered sarcastically.

The blonde pouted and flicked a forkful of mashed potato into Shuuhei's direction. "Are you making fun of me?"

"How old are you, four?" a petit brunette grumbled after dodging the flying food.

"Apropos four.." The glasses wearing guy continued. "...I heard he had lost his little daughter during that accident."

The group fell silent again.

"Never knew he had one," someone said. "Is he married in the first place?"

The first guy grinned. "I didn't see a ring, but he could have used to wear it on his left hand – if he still had it, that is."

Now, Ichgio wasn't hungry anymore. At all. He pushed his last sandwich away and decided to pack it up to eat it later. His plate clattered when moved over the tabletop, making several heads turn into his direction.

"What happened to your hand anyway?" the busty blonde raised a brow and motioned to the bandages.

"Eh..." Ichigo's ears went red. "Incident with the vending machine."

..

The thought didn't left him the following week.

Car accident? Lost daughter?

He wasn't one for gossip, but that this gossip might probably be true for once left him feeling strange. Whenever he saw Jaegerjaques he saw a picture of a dead mangled little girl and had to look away, and if he was forced to talk to him because of work, he didn't dare to look him in the eye. It was just a matter of time until Jaegerjaques would be pissed about it, but Ichigo ignored it instead of being yelled at for looking at him with...pity. Or whatever unworthy expression he might have.

"Is my face so ugly or why aren't you looking at me anymore?"

Ichigo bit his lip and stared at the screen of his computer. Jaegerjaques was standing in the door with a new file; a deep scowl was his greeting.

"No, Sir," Ichigo murmured and rubbed his forehead with his right hand. Again little dead girl popped back into his mind like the one in _the Ring_.

"You know," Jaegerjaques came up to his desk and let the file fall onto it. "I'm kind of..." he cleared his throat."...sorry for...that." Ichigo jerked his head up and saw his boss motion to his hand still rubbing his forehead. "Was kind of...inappropriate of me."

Ichigo didn't know what to say.

Jaegerjaques shrugged once, obviously uncomfortable.

Clearing his throat, Ichigo managed a crooked smile. "Don't worry about it; it's just a small burn." In view of the Jaegerjaques's possible situation, he didn't want to explain his half burned hand with blisters and singed skin. It was nasty, hurt like hell, but he was willing to let that slip.

"Just as well." He cleared his throat again. "Get that done, until tonight." He tried to sound not as bad-tempered as the other days and Ichigo was glad for it.

..

The guy with the glasses leaned forward, pushing his empty plate away. "Yakuza" was everything he said, leaving the room for the discussion sure about to follow.

"Yakuza," Shuuhei echoed, cocking a brow.

"Yeah, think about it: his crime he had done was so bad that – instead of a mere finger – they cut off his whole arm!"

Ichigo's mouth hung open but he remembered his manners and kept it with its contents close.

"He wasn't the father-type anyway," a lithe man at the end of the table exclaimed.

The busty blonde – Matsumoto, Ichigo had learned during the many times her boss had screamed at her – pouted again. "I wouldn't say that. All bark and no bite, that he is." She clasped her hands together, grinning widely. "Imagine, a little princess on his knee whom he could spoil rotten? Come on, that would fit so much!"

"Absolutely not, he's a criminal. Look at his hair!"

Ichigo sunk low into his chair, flicking his hair nervously. Because his boss had blue hair he was claimed to be a delinquent? Were they nuts?

A feminine man sitting opposite of Ichigo huffed loudly. "He's both. Remember Zaraki?" The group shuddered visibly. "That guy was a perfect specimen of a criminal; and what hung around his neck 24/7? His little ball of sunshine."

The short silence was interrupted by the lithe man. "So a Yakuza with a dead daughter?"

Ichigo couldn't help but face-palm.

..

It went like that the next days. Ichigo ignored the gossip his coworkers were spreading all over the building. It seems as if Jaegerjaques was the best topic to discuss and speculate with and honestly, Ichigo couldn't stand it. Since he was still new to this company – even if he was working there for five weeks by now – he slowly get to know the people and slowly came to the conclusion that he didn't get along with them as well as he hoped he would.

..

He mulled over that when he excited the bathroom again. He still needed to change his bandage every once in a while and cursed his stupidity back then.

Then he saw Jaegerjaques in front of the vending machine again. His suitcase and several loose files were clamped between his elbow and his side while he tried to get the coffee cup. Again. Ichigo hastily passed him. He had learned his lesson. He didn't need to have his other hand burned as well, even if Jaegerjaques had apologized for it. As the old saying goes: a burnt Ichigo dreads the fire...

The next moment, before he entered his office, he heard a loud hiss and a curse and the slamming of a door. Peeking back into the hallway, Ichigo saw the suitcase and the files littered on the floor and soon to be drowned in hot coffee. He hurried back and put them away from the puddle on the floor. He sighed once, already knowing what might have happened here and went to fetch the kit from Shuuhei.

Upon opening the bathroom door, he saw Jaegerjaques standing in front of the sink, cursing and grumbling, while his hand was held under the spray of cold water.

"Here."

Jaegerjaques whirled around and gaped stupidly at his employee until he hurriedly put on a scowl again. "What!" he barked; obviously his mood was on the usual lower part of the scale.

Ignoring him, Ichigo set the temperature of the water slightly up. "Shut up," he murmured, gripping his boss's wrist firmly. "The water's too cold, your hand might get frostbitten."

"I never asked for your—"

"I said shut up!" Surprisingly, Jaegerjaques went silent for a stunning minute. Still holding the wrist with one hand, Ichigo opened the kit with the other hand. Since he had burnt his hand recently, he knew to a certain extent what he should do. "We're gonna soak it for another five minutes. After that, I'll wrap it up, seeing that you wouldn't manage with one burnt hand, would you?"

Jaegerjaques clenched his teeth but said nothing.

..

His burn wasn't as bad as Ichigo's, but considering that he still had to use his limp 100 percent, it was irritating him as hell. Ichigo hoped that this would keep his boss from throwing steaming liquid at him any time soon.

What Ichigo hadn't expected was the telephone call from Jaegerjaques the next day.

"Mind getting me a coffee?"

Ichigo was glad they weren't in the same room for the grin on his face would definitely set his boss off again. He wasn't his secretary or a lowly intern, but why not? "Sure."

When he had the black drink ready, he was about to go to the main office as Jaegerjaques appeared behind him, his one arm occupied with holding up files and his suitcase again. He grunted a "Follow me" and went to the elevator. Ichigo ran stunned after him with the cup clutched in his hands.

They entered a meeting room in the higher floors.

"Always need a good coffee up here," Jaegerjaques explained when he set his suitcase on the table and prepared himself for his presentation.

The upper floors didn't have vending machines? Ichigo didn't dare to question him.

Jaegerjaques flicked his wrist to motion him his job here was done.

By the door, Ichigo barely heard Jaegerjaques murmuring. "Thanks."

..

"He has no daughter" was the statement that started the next conversation. Ichigo had barely taken his first bit of his steaming meal and honestly considered to leave it at that.

Matsumoto leaned forward and Ichigo could see Shuuhei out of the corner of his eye staring at her bulging bosom. He sighed. Matsumoto twirled a lock in her hands. "He's gay, obviously."

"I knew it!" the lithe man shouted. Ichigo hadn't made the effort to remember any of their names. He just remembered each personality and their matching statements and positions during those discussions. He felt sorry for his boss. Speaking of the devil, Ichigo didn't see him anywhere outside his office for the last two weeks. Considering the gossip, he could understand him. It took two whole weeks to get dead little girl cleansed from his mind since she was just a pile of rubbish made from inane underused mindsets.

When the discussion went deeper about the psyche of Jaegerjaques and how utterly flamboyant gay he was, Ichigo took his plate and went to the cashier to ask for a take-out container unnoticedly.

..

"What are you doing here? It's lunch."

Ichigo looked up from his meal to Jaegerjaques standing in the doorway to his working place. "Can't see you in the cafeteria either," he countered, turning back to his food. He missed Jaegerjaques's frown and jumped when the door fell close again.

"Something's happened?" Jaegerjaques asked when sitting down on an empty chair next to Ichigo's desk.

Ichigo stumbled a few times over his words until he got something out. "Why should something have happened?"

The blue haired man shrugged with one shoulder. "Don't know. Usually you're downstairs with your friends." He stopped when Ichigo snorted out loud. "Not?"

"You know..." Ichigo started, thinking about all the discussions of his so-called friends he had witnessed. "...ah, forget it." He said, rubbing his temple. He hated those 'discussions' but he wasn't an office jerkwad either. "Not important."

Jaegerjaques waited a minute for Ichigo to continue but he was disappointed when the redhead did nothing but stare at his half empty plate.

"Whatever." And he left the office.

..

During the next four days, Ichigo came to several conclusions. For one, Jaegerjaques certainly had no wife, no daughter and no lover. He wasn't particularly sure about the last one. However, there was a stinging lack of pictures – of anybody. Friends, family, nothing. Then there was no ring, no personal phone calls – Jaegerjaques could have been overly diligent and strictly with what he was doing just...frankly, he wasn't the type. He came early in the morning and was often last to go home. He wondered why he never noticed, but it had something to do with his usual working hours: 9 to 5.

And those four days later, Ichigo found the courage to knock at his boss's door in the middle of the lunch break. He didn't like eating alone and he would even favor the presence of his grumpy superior to the newsmonger downstairs. If that wasn't a clear statement...

Jaegerjaques answered, cranky but without yelling. He seemed surprised seeing a sheepish grinning Ichigo standing in the doorway, holding up a take-out container. "Mind if I join you for lunch?" He was dumbfounded for a while, even after he gave him a nod and Ichigo sat down near the desk and opened his box.

Obviously ignoring his employee, he poked into his food until Ichigo spoke again.

"You're eating rice pudding?"

Jaegerjaques's ears went beet red. "So what," he grumbled and shoved another spoonful into his mouth.

Ichigo grinned. "Aren't you too old for that?"

"Shut up!" He put his spoon down and grabbed after the sugar cinnamon mixture, pouring a good amount over the white mush.

Neither said something after that, but both felt the air relaxing slowly.

The second time Ichigo violated Jaegerjaques's lunch break was still a bit awkward; Jaegerjaques didn't seem to get the reason as of why he was disturbed during his break but was too proud for asking – the only reason Ichigo could come up with why he was even allowed (or tolerated) in there. The third time, he didn't smiled sheepishly anymore, Jaegerjaque gave a grunt and shrugged his shoulder; the fourth time he didn't ask but just sat on his usual spot with his boss giving him a nod as reluctant acknowledgement. It went on.

Ichigo decided that those lunch breaks should look more like that than the previous encounters in the cafeteria. They didn't talk much, hardly ever and apart from that they barely left the topic work. But nobody said it wasn't unpleasant that way. Ichigo didn't need to worry to become victim of accusations once he left the table and Jaegerjaques was impressively open-minded and none-partisan once he managed to open his mouth without flooding the area in insults, threats and foul language. And that was exactly what happened.

The first time, however, when Ichigo came over for lunch and found Jaegerjaques smiling at him upon entering the office, something popped in the back of Ichigo's mind. It was the meaning behind that smile that got Ichigo's hands tingling and his tongue loosen. And instead of sitting silently in the room and munching on their food, Ichigo couldn't stop talking. He had no idea what possessed him to ramble out of nowhere, but Jaegerjaques's affirming grunts or nods encouraged his loosened tongue even more until they reached a certain topic.

"Every day when I sat down with the others, they just couldn't shut up about their goddamn gossip. It was nerve-killing. As if they couldn't talk about something else but—" Here he stopped. He had promised himself to not be an office jerkwad and now he was blurting everything out. Ichigo pressed his lips together.

"Something else but?" Jaegerjaques probed, leaning forward on his single elbow.

"Uhm..." First Ichigo's ears went red, then his cheeks. He tried to find an answer desperately but when his boss started to grin, he was at a loss for words.

"About me," he concluded.

Ichigo said nothing.

"Ah, come on, as if that's anything new." Jaegerjaques sighed loudly, leaning back again.

"You know?"

"Of course, who do you think I am? Almost everything they say gets up here sooner or later. It's funny listening to them, actually." This time, he grinned devilishly. "If they just knew the right answers..." His blue eyes fixed onto the suddenly very silent Ichigo who was fidgeting on his chair. The grin turned wider.

"You're really thinking that I'm here to sound you out?"

Jaegerjaques cocked a brow. "Are you serious? They don't even want to find out; they'll be more satisfied to gossip about it, don't you think?" He pushed his chair back and stood, stalking leisurely over to the still fidgeting Ichigo. "What about you?" he said once he reached him, leaning down. "Do you want to know what happened to this beautiful arm?" He padded his stump almost lovingly.

Ichigo looked to the floor and fisted the material of the take-out container. "Not really."

"I'll tell you."

"I'm not interested."

"But you are."

Ichigo sighed loudly, pushing his boss roughly away. "If you still hold a grudge against me because I gaped the first time we met, then _sorry, Sir._ It's not every day I see a walking invalid who's none the less my new boss; nobody told me, nobody cared, _I_ don't care. So, leave me alone, you pompous prick!"

With that Ichigo stormed out of the office.

He was certain that Jaegerjaques would throw him out after that, but the next day during lunch – when Ichigo remained in his office and blamed his stupidity again – Jaegerjaques appeared in his room, stalking to the next chair, flopping down and eating as if nothing had happened.

"What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked exasperated, if not slightly panicked.

"Lunch?" Jaegerjaques helped, biting into his sandwich heartily.

"But..." Ichigo began, before he was silenced by his boss.

"Forget it. You thought I'd kick you out? Why should I do that? Finally I've got a man of character instead of a tattletale and I shall let him go? Certainly not."

Jaegerjaques grinned and Ichigo couldn't help himself and grinned back.

"Besides, I'm handicapped, not invalid, you little shit."

..

Shuuhei was the reason why Ichigo found himself rather unwillingly in the former group again. Matsumoto was missing, as was the small brunette, so that there were only man sitting at the table and Ichigo knew that there were just three topics to discuss: work, sports or sex. The group opted for the latter. It would have been all right with Ichigo (to a certain extent at least) until the real idiots of them started.

"He certainly can't jerk off to a magazine, with missing arm and all. How can he skim through the pages and handle himself the same time?"

"Someone could help him," someone offered and a couple of guys laughed at that.

Ichigo sighed again.

"Hey, Kurosaki! You should know!"

Ichigo felt incredibly slow as he stared at them while trying to form a retort. However, "What?" was all he managed.

"Since you're all the time up there with him, he showed you a thing or two?"

He formed a scowl on his face. "He is my boss," he said slowly as if that fact was new.

"We know. So, how does he do it?"

"He is my boss," Ichigo said even slower as if the meaning was hard to get.

"Oh come on, since that guy's gay and relationships between chefs and their secretaries aren't anything new..."

"I am not a secretary." He got it out slowly this time to fight the anger that was welling up.

The lithe man laughed shortly. "You bring him coffee," he sounded as if it was the most ridiculous thing he had seen.

"And?" Ichigo stayed calm – on the outside at least.

Three guys looked at each other and their matching grins meant nothing good. "So he already got you?" one laughed.

"Was he any good?"

"Top or bottom?"

For the first time, Ichigo couldn't stand it any longer. He stood abruptly, shooting everyone a dark look and stalked off. "This is just too stupid."

Instead of getting on the elevator to go upstairs he turned for the terrace. When being stressed out or completely enraged, he needed a cigarette to calm down to an acceptable level. He was halfway through his second cigarette when Shuuhei came after him, looking ashamed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't bring you for that."

Ichigo wanted to laugh out loud at first, but he remembered his conversation with Jaegerjaques. The situation was quite similar. He blew out the smoke and squished the remaining part of the cigarette in a metallic ashtray. "Don't worry about it. It's not your fault."

Shuuhei smiled thankfully.

"I didn't know you smoke."

"Just when I'm about to kill something," Ichigo grinned with cold eyes.

..

Like the first time Jaegerjaques easily spotted his anxiety. They beat around the bush for the second half of the day until Jaegerjaques put his foot down.

" _What_ is it?"

Ichigo resigned and sat down on the edge of the wooden desk, crossing his arms in the process. It was already dark outside and most employees were gone. "They talked about sex," he admitted finally.

"Oh, that's a new one," was the sarcastic reply.

"They made fun of you."

"Honestly, if there isn't anything else, then what the hell are you upset about?"

"You're the boss for heaven's sake!"

"I'm not their boss, per se. I'm your boss, I'm Hisagi's boss, but not _their_ boss. So they can talk all they want. Or have you heard Hisagi mutter a word?"

In fact, Ichigo hadn't. Shuuhei made a comment or two, but those were sarcastic mostly. His shoulders sagged a bit. "They asked me how you do it."

A blue brow was lifted. "Do what?"

"Masturbate."

"With my hand?"

Ichigo groaned loudly. "While reading a—You know what? They're a bunch of idiots, so it doesn't matter."

"What have you answered?"

"Nothing." Ichigo wasn't satisfied with that answer either but the good comeback always popped into his mind too late. "Maybe I should have told them instead of two arms you have three legs. That should have done the job."

Jaegerjaques cracked up and laughed so loudly that he fell backwards into his chair.

Ichigo cracked a small smile as well, feeling a light satisfaction to rile that man up so much. He hadn't heard him laugh much over the last two months.

"Kurosaki, I really start liking you."

..

If someone like Grimmjow Jaegerjaques admitted, that he like someone (or was about to), it had to mean something. So, first, Ichigo patted his own shoulder, then he thought about his boss some more. The next two weeks were quite stressful and jammed with work where Ichigo helped his boss as best as he could. The first signs of fatigue showed on his face and when the project was through, Ichigo decided it was time to get the head clear for once.

"You look tired."

Jaegerjaques's eyes glowered at him. "Really? What gave you the hint?" he asked sarcastically.

The pale skin, the tousled hair, the hunched shoulders, the constant yawning or the massive dark circles under his eyes. Ichigo was clever enough to keep his mouth shut, shrugged and tried to put on a disarming smile. "You should relax a bit. Go out somewhere."

"Aha," his boss made. "By my own? Sounds fun."

Ichigo shrugged again. "A man as dashing as you shouldn't have problems finding someone to go with."

Jaegerjaques glared. "Was that an insult or a bad joke?"

It wasn't either, but he seemed rather grumpy and tired to react any different.

"How about I'll join you?"

Jaegerjaques looked as if actually contemplated that, leaned back into his chair, yawned and eyed Ichigo up and down.

"A club or do you have something else in mind?"

Hiding the shock that he agreed so willingly, Ichigo pondered that question. If he goes out with Jaegerjaques he'd like to get to know him a little bit better. So and getting smashed and wasted in a dark, muddy club...wasn't what he had in mind. Ichigo pictures himself standing next to his boss shouting at the top of his lungs to get the conversation going. Eh, no, definitely not.

"Something less noisy would be fine."

"Less noisy?" He grinned. "Movies? You're such a chick?"

Sighing loudly, Ichigo crossed his arms. "Something fun; I used to go to the arcades at night."

"And that's so much less noisy, isn't it?"

"I wasn't thinking about the video games..." Besides, that would be a little unfair with his handicap. "Rather..." Ichigo almost said pool – drinking one or two bottles of beer while playing leisurely pool sounded nice – but Ichigo could get his mouth shut before he blurted it out. How the hell was Jaegerjaques suppose to play pool with one arm..? "One-armed bandit?" he said instead and regretted it the next second.

Jaegerjaques looked as if he couldn't decide whether to laugh or not.

"Sorry, bad joke," Ichigo muttered and hid his red face.

"Look, if you want to have some fun, why don't we go bowling?"

..

When Ichigo had suggested the arcade, he had a special place in mind where he could be sure the owner was open minded and easy-going enough to not make crude remarks about Jaegerjaques. So he was a bit unsure how the evening would turn out when they entered a random bowling center near Ichigo's home.

As expected, the first customers hanging around the bar where openly staring at the strange blue haired guy entering their sanctuary; Ichigo had the impression the music was lowered enough so that he was able to hear their whispers loud and clearly. He had thrown an unsure look to his boss but he seemed rather unfazed.

However, when they sat down on the seats in front of their bowling alley, the guys next to them started sniggering as soon as they saw the two newcomers.

That was, until Jaegerjaques knocked down all pins with one ball for the next six rounds.

Ichigo's jaw fell open. He hadn't bowled much so far and his clumsy throws were nothing compared to his boss's powerful strikes. Even the guys in the next booth were staring now, not because of Jaegerjaques's appearance but his skills.

The evening developed into a competition as Jaegerjaques challenge each and every one of them, and in this chaos of curses, evil laughs and victory dances, Jaegerjaques really unbent and brightened up.

Ichigo should pat his own shoulder again if this scenario hadn't been as far from the planned calm evening as possible.

On their way home in Ichigo's compact car, Jaegerjaques still grinned from one ear to the other, chuckling to himself. Ichigo had never seen him that relaxed, however... He sighed soundlessly and slowed down in front of his boss's house. "Here we go," he muttered half-heartily.

"We should do that again, next week?" He was still a bit hyper and punched Ichigo's arm playfully. "We'll wipe the floor with them!"

Actually, just he was doing the wiping; Ichigo had been on the floor. The other seven men seemed to be regular players and had at least some kind of technique they used. Ichigo's technique was hit or miss. It was a blow for his ego – his ego wasn't as big as Jaegerjaques, but still, he had his pride.

"We'll see," Ichigo said a little resignedly.

"You weren't that bad." Did he try to cheer him up? Ichigo threw a wary glance at him, unsure of what to think of him.

"Jaegerjaques, I—"

Said man suddenly shot forward, his face too close for Ichigo's comfort. " _Grimmjow_ ," he purred slowly, his eyes sparkled with mischief.

Ichigo was stunned for a moment. "That's your first name," he said stupidly.

Jaegerjaques rolled his eyes. "Come on, say it."

"What? Your name?"

The smirk was his answer.

"Grimmjow." He felt even more stupid saying it.

"Good," his boss smiled widely, patting his cheek in the process. "Now, your task for the next weeks is to memorize that, 'kay?" After a pregnant pause he added with a quiet low voice: "You may need it sometime soon..."

The slamming of the door jerked Ichigo out of his stupor. His boss - ...Grimmjow...? – looked through the side window and...winked. At him.

..

"He hit on you," Shuuhei got out, wide eyed, open mouthed and a little pale on the nose.

"I can't believe I just told you that." Ichigo face palmed, and hung his head low. At least, the both of them were secure in Shuuhei's office. Ichigo couldn't even remember what had made him say it in the first place, now that it was out. Maybe because his brain didn't work well on Monday mornings.

"He hit on you!" Shuuhei repeated louder this time with a hint of a screech.

"Would you mind keeping it down!?" Ichigo blushed furiously by now.

Shuuhei snapped his mouth shut the next moment. Now they _knew_ their boss was, uh... _not straight_. "And you're telling me now? Why?"

Ichigo sighed slowly and fell into the next chair. "I don't know what has gotten into me either."

Clearing his throat, Shuuhei got down from his little high. "And you? Are you a bit...gay, too?" He lowered his voice to a whisper – just to be sure nobody was hearing a thing.

For a minute or two Ichigo was fidgeting uncomfortably. "I...have no idea," he shrugged helplessly. "You have to admit, _objectively_ speaking, he _is_ attractive."

"He has one arm."

Ichigo looked at him incredulously and Shuuhei hastily lowered his gaze, blushing in shame.

"That has nothing to do with it. He's still handsome. And since he stopped being a jerk, he's even fun hanging out with. To a certain extent, that is."

"He is your boss," Shuuhei's blush had lowered a bit.

With a sigh Ichigo leaned his head over the backrest. " _That_ would actually be a problem. Besides, anyone willing to get into any kind of relationship with him has to be masochist."

They stayed silent for some time until Shuuhei admitted that they had chatted privately long enough and better get to work again.

"You'll keep quiet?"

Shuuhei gave him a smirk, his blush had completely vanished. "What do you think of me? Of course I will. The rumors are bad as it is."

..

Ichigo had had the whole weekend to mull over that wink. It had been irritating, but it made him curious to know what kind of person his once so overly tough, angry, bad tempered boss could turn into. Maybe he was just comfortable enough to let his guard down around Ichigo. The first-name-base should be a proof of that.

Strolling down the corridor, Ichigo knocked on the door at the end of his path, entering without waiting for the approving grunt.

"Morning," Ichigo said slowly, eying his boss who, in return, looked expectantly back. "Grimmjow," Ichigo added finally, and he received an approving nod.

"Good," Grimmjow grinned, rolling his neck with a long groan once Ichigo had closed the door. "Man, this whole bowling mess gave me cramps... Could barely use my arm the whole weekend."

"You want me to kiss it better?" Ichigo snorted, letting a heavy folder fall onto Grimmjow's desk. Leaning forward he opened it and flicked through the pages. "Here, I marked several pages you should skip through. I wasn't sure about this part of the contract. The yellow pages has been faxed just this morning, so you'd better—"

"Has anybody told you that you have nice hands?"

Ichigo blinked, stopping mid-sentence. He stared at his hand holding open the folder and watched as Grimmjow slowly stroked the skin of his palm. "What...?" he squeaked dumbfounded.

"I bet you have a real strong grip..." Grimmjow trailed off, cracking a grin.

The tip of Ichigo's ears slowly turned a bright red, and the redhead coughed once loudly. "What the hell—"

"Massage my back, you idiot."

After a short silence, Ichigo reared back. "Who do you think I am!"

"You're my employee!"

"Yes, _employee_ , not your fucking servant!"

Grimmjow groaned. "To which rank should I promote you until you give me a small massage?"

"Give you your own massage!"

"Oh, for the love of— can't you just do what I told you?"

Ichigo stemmed one hand into his side, scowling and huffing. "I'll do the things that are listed in my employment contract."

Still holding onto Ichigo's hand, Grimmjow lowered his head with a barely audible curse, then lifted it again. "Besides, was this the coffee incident?"

Blinking once, Ichigo looked at the back of his hand that showed some dotted white scars and some still pink and red marks. He pulled it back instantly and hid it behind his back. Upon the deep scowl Grimmjow threw at him, Ichigo laughed nervously. "Ah, don't worry about it. It's nothing."

They fell silent again, until Grimmjow pulled his mouth down, making a strange noise in the back of his throat. Finally, he pulled the folder towards himself and flicked through the pages. "I'll give this back to you by tomorrow."

Then Ichigo was dismissed.

..

As promised, he found the folder the next morning neatly put on his desk. Ichigo stretched to get ready for the next day at work and sat down on his creaky chair. Halfway through the folder, a neon-yellow post-up note made him frown.

 _"we'll go out tonight_

 _business/office related - part of contract_

 _(don't ya dare to say no !)"_

Ichigo snorted in the palm his head was leaning on, flicking the piece of paper over in case something was written on the back.

 _"get back to work now"_

His left eye twitched slightly, he made a strangled sound and threw the note over his shoulder. _Bastard_ , was all he thought.

..

On the other hand, Ichigo was glad that said bastard opted for fitting place to meet. After the winking incident he had feared Grimmjow would drop him off at a fancy restaurant. The family restaurant where they were currently being was quite more comfortable whereas the glances given by the others customers were quite irritating.

"What do you want to talk about again?" Ichigo piped in while nipping on some soda. He asked himself whether he would be more comfortable with a pub, however. Gaining more space between them, Ichigo scooted some centimeters to the right. He had no idea whether they did it on purpose and sat next to each other instead of facing each other.

"I wanted to talk about a compensation of the damage I caused." Grimmjow nodded to his right hand holding the soda and Ichigo hastily hid it again.

"Are you stupid? I said it was fine. Moreover, it was an accident."

Grimmjow stared at him. "It was battery and you know it. Anybody else would have retained a lawyer and you—"

Ichigo punched his shoulder lightly, but firmly. "It was a misunderstanding. Jeez, you make mountains out of molehills."

Now Grimmjow got a little bit angry. "I could have drenched your face in hot coffee."

"But you didn't."

"That's not the point! Next time my mood gets the better of me and god knows what I'm doing then!"

To be honest, Ichigo couldn't understand why Grimmjow was so agitated. Everything turned out well. Well enough that is. Some marks would stay, but it didn't really matter. Moreover, the increasing volume of his boss made several customers look into their direction so that Ichigo tried to sooth the steadily rising temper. "You apologized."

According to the angry red face, Ichigo's try wasn't very successful, but before Grimmjow could shout anything, a waiter brought their dinner. Pulling his mouth into an almost-pout, Grimmjow leaned back into his seat.

"Here you go," the waiter said, putting down the plates.

The next second, Grimmjow's face fell even more. The steak he had ordered – freehandedly cubed, sliced or just _not whole_ – was smiling in its roasted _whole_ glory at him.

Ichigo noticed him taking a rather deep breath.

"Is it too much to ask for it to be cut beforehand?" he pressed out between his lips. "Such incompetent... Those brats back there get whatever they want, even if it isn't written on the menu, but I just asked for a few—"

Ichigo clamped his hand over his boss's mouth, pushing him effectively back into his seat again. Throwing a rather apologetic smile at the waiter, Ichigo said a simple "Thanks" and the man scurried away.

"What the hell—" Grimmjow began to shout again, when Ichigo hissed at him warningly.

"Shut up," he punched his side for good measure. "Keep it down, there are kids, too!"

"As if I care...!"

"You brought this restaurant up, so stop complaining!" Ichigo pulled Grimmjow's plate to himself and began cutting the steak into pieces.

"What are you doing!"

Ichigo gave him a deadpanned look. "You really got an issue with help, don't you?" A low grumbled emerged from his throat. "You idiot, next time, I'll pick the place. The Hungarian restaurant down the street is apparently really good; Shuuhei told me."

Pushing the plate back, Ichigo noticed the deep frown his boss was spotting. He picked up a fork and poked the newly cut flesh listlessly, heaving a small sigh. "You can go there without me."

"Why? Are you sulking?"

A grunt. "More like got barred."

"You're kidding."

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Grimmjow let his fork fall back to his plate and leaned his head onto his hand. "I should never have invited you here... I embarrass you, don't I?"

Ichigo cocked a brow and ate some of his meatballs. "We could have gone to your place."

Grimmjow peeked through his fingers at him. "I thought that would have been a bit too fast and unlikely."

"Then mine?"

Ichigo stopped.

Then it dawned him.

" _Oh_."

The pasta and the meatballs lay like stones in his mouth. Despite his difficulty of swallowing those Ichigo rather shoved some more spaghetti down his throat than having the opportunity to say something. He had no idea what he should probably say to that anyway. Was Grimmjow serious? If he squinted, he could let the wink slip as a playful side of his boss. Okay, maybe not. And paired with the last statement he was left somehow confused. And unsure. Plus a little panicked.

It seemed as if Grimmjow noticed the change in him, too, and he silently ate his steak.

They paid each their own and left the family restaurant sooner than any of them expected. The drive home was as silent as the rest of their meal and when Ichigo stopped next to Grimmjow's home, he kept staring at the road in front of him.

"About the compensation—" Grimmjow started, but Ichigo waved him off hastily.

"Stop it. Just," he sighed, "Just get out."

When Grimmjow didn't make any move to leave the car, the redhead let out a tired sigh. "Stop being difficult and let's sleep over this and start tomorrow again, huh?"

"Is it about the burn or about what I said?"

Ichigo eyed him from the corner of his eye, unsure what Grimmjow was talking about.

"You're like a bitch all of the sudden, I just want to know the reason why."

Shrugging helplessly, Ichigo all but wished his boss would finally leave his car and let the awkward moment go away. Out of experience with that man, Ichigo doubted, it would go as he wished it would.

The silence became almost suffocating.

Without realizing it, Ichigo blurted out: "They say, you're gay, I hope you know that." He snapped his mouth shut, cursing what had come out.

"Of course." Jaegerjaques straightened himself in his seat, obviously offended that Ichigo expected he didn't know that already. However, Ichigo wasn't prepared to hear: "I was the one who asked Matsumoto to tell them that."

Ichigo's eyes bulged. "W- _what_?"

"I have to keep them busy, haven't I?"

A creepy silence fell over them, where Ichigo tried to figure out if his boss was serious or not.

"So...you're gay?" He asked with a certain laugh in his voice – a tone where he wouldn't put his foot in his mouth in either situation.

"Just if you're interested in seeing my 'third' leg." Grimmjow winked.

He choked on that laugh.

Then he noticed his boss was – indeed – serious.

After that Ichigo all but kicked him out of the vehicle – quite literally actually.

Ichigo honestly considered on his way home to call in sick the next day. And maybe the day after that. But this would be equal to running and hiding away – both very unmanly and not acceptable reactions in Ichigo's book. Then better playing it off. If it could just be the alcohol speaking. Yeah, sure, without drinking a drop the whole night.

When he came to a halt in front of his own apartment his head was swimming with worries and thoughts. With an audible whine he let his head fall straight onto the steering wheel and produced shrill sound, whining through the neighborhood and waking every sleeping child.

..

A temporary solution to his problems came with a short phone call from his little sister that very evening.

"You have to come, Ichi-nii," his little sister's voice carried over the speaker. "The whole family will gather here. Dad can't come because he is at a conference he can't miss and it would add insult to injury if the second head of our family doesn't come, too."

Ichigo leaned back into his couch in his small living room, an opened can of beer waited on the table in front of him. "Yuzu, it's in the middle of the week; I can't just call my boss to get free the very next day." He sighed. "Moreover, that would seem like I'm running away or something..."

"From what?"

Ichigo bit his tongue. He coughed once and took a rather large gulp from his can of beer. "Work," was all he said.

"He'll understand," Yuzu said with this certain voice she copied from their mother.

Being more of a softie than he liked to admit, Ichigo agreed grudgingly and bid his goodbye. As soon as the line went dead, he let his head fall forward again, regretting his decision already. The clock on the far wall of the kitchen said eleven; still early for a grown man and his boss – _Grimmjow_ – would surely still be awake and watch some TV or something.

It rang almost ten times, before a gruff voice answered the phone.

"Hey, it's me," Ichigo cleared his throat and cursed himself to let something so lame slip past his lips. "I..need to take off tomorrow. Family emergency."

There was a long pause on the other line and Ichigo wondered whether his boss was even awake, asleep again or about to yell in the phone.

Instead: "Okay."

He didn't sound okay at all.

"It's not about today, okay? My sister just called and blackmailed me to come."

Again: "Okay."

"It may take a couple of days. I hope I'll be back by Monday." This time, Grimmjow didn't say anything at all. Ichigo waited for an embarrassing moment of silence, but nothing came. "Okay, I see you."

The line went dead.

Tossing back the rest of his beer, Ichigo stood up and prepared a small rucksack with the few things he would need for the next days.

..

The drive home took the better half of the following day until Ichigo couldn't see the street clearly anymore and stopped at a gas station for a quick nap. He overslept, cursed his bad luck, drove on and stopped at a small motel to leave early the day after; he arrived his hometown around midday.

His sister Yuzu greeted him from the entrance. "I hope you've got your black clothes with you."

"Hello, long time no see, too," Ichigo frowned, insulted that his little sister had grown up from the mere eleven year old he kept so fond in his memories. Yuzu just rolled her eyes and disappeared behind the door.

The preparation for the funeral was in progress, folding chairs were arranged in the large garden, a small pedestal where the coffin would be placed was in front of them. Flowers were still missing, but they still had until Friday to set them up.

Ichigo's other sister came rushing through the back door, a neat tall guy – obviously from the funeral directors – on her tail. "-and the banquet is prepared?"

"Yes, everything as you were planning."

Karin nodded once, then spotted her brother standing beside the chairs in the garden. "Ichigo!" She dismissed the man and came rushing towards him. "Good that you made it."

"Everything for the family?" Ichigo offered with a weak smile and hugged his sibling back, when she embraced him.

He heard a loud snort coming from the back door where Karin had come from and saw another family member strolling towards them. "Family," she laughed, shaking her head. "I don't believe anyone really wanted that asshole in his family."

Karin huffed. "Even I don't speak ill of dead people, Kuukaku."

Both Ichigo and Kuukaku exchanged a short nod as greeting. "Never thought that the Shiba branch will come, too," Ichigo wondered out loud.

"Didn't say Yuzu the whole family? Or aren't we considered family in your book?" The tall brunette quirked a brow and punched the redhead's shoulder.

"Well, I can live without one or two members of your branch..."

..

Ichigo met one of those certain members when the funeral was almost over. The body of the old head of the family – Yamamoto – was first shown on the small pedestal, then brought to the cemetery to be buried six feet under. The number of people shedding tears in his honor was as expectably small as the carefree attitude of all guests was big, when all of them dove into the funeral banquet. Hoping to be not seen by his cousin Ganjuu, Ichigo hid behind the large flower arrangement on the table he was sitting at, munching sullenly on his meal. The turmoil of the funeral kept him busy until now, but the excitement ebbed down slowly, so that he lost himself in his thoughts again.

As if reading his mind his other cousin slapped his shoulder friendly, giving him a wide carefree grin. "Everything's all right with you? Heard you fled your hometown and started something new miles away?" Kaien Shiba was supposed to be the new head of the family since his father already died years ago. Yamamoto's actual daughter – Kaien's mother – was with being a female and all unworthy of the leadership and his son – Isshin, Ichigo's father – made very quickly very clear that he had no interest whatsoever in this family business, took his wife's surname and was dishonored and disinherited that same moment. Isshin could care less.

"Can't complain," Ichigo said, shrugging helplessly. "What about you? Old man disinherited you as well?" It became almost a running gag because Yamamoto dishonored every possible heir before they even came of age.

"Yepp."

"Despite your university grade and your leadership skills?"

"My sexual orientation didn't assort well with him."

Ichigo stopped dead.

"You mean..."

Kaien smiled mysteriously. Then he stretched his arms and let himself fall back into his chair, waiting for a reaction. When nothing came, he quirked a brow. "You don't seem much bothered about it. But something else's on your mind."

Biting nervously his lips, Ichigo looked around to see if someone's close enough to hear anything. Confirming their privacy, he cleared his throat. "How did you know..?"

"Come on, you can't hide something from me. We're going all the way back, remember?"

"No," Ichigo scratched his neck. "Not like that. How did you notice about yourself..?"

"That I'm gay?"

Ichigo couldn't help but blush. He felt stupid and immature to react like that.

"Got problems in your love life?"

Ichigo wished he would have just stayed in his apartment and gone to work the next day. Would have been less embarrassing than sitting here and talking with his cousin about bees and...bees.

"Kind of. I'm kind of being hit on."

"You're 'kind of' being hit on." Kaien sounded as incredulously as he looked like.

"Well, I would interpret this behavior better if this hitman was a girl."

"So, it's a guy?"

Ichigo nodded.

"So, where's the problem?"

"My boss."

"He's homophobe?"

"Nope, the hitman."

Kaien spotted a shit-eating grin at that, nudging him teasingly with his elbow. "My, my. You know how to do it, little Ichigo!"

The redhead sunk forward again, hiding his face in his hands with an audible groan. "Precisely not."

"You like him?"

A moment or two went on in silence where the sound of the banquet and the laughing guest – despite the actual funeral – carried all over the garden. As if a dark shadow was lifted, every family member seemed so much brighter and breathing more easily than before.

"He's fun hanging out with." Ichigo admitted. "But so are you. Or Renji or Kensei from high school and college." He shuddered at the image of getting involved with any of them. "It's a little bit much to call it a 'romantic involvement', because it's not." Neither from his side or Grimmjow's. Besides, he doubt there was any interest left since the last phone call that had sounded more like a rejection than intended.

"How about you just give it a shot? For curiosity's sake? Out of experience, it's kinda strange at first but not unpleasant, once you got used to it."

Ichigo cringed, his mind went on overdrive when all the wrong images invaded his head, making him groan out loud. "Information I didn't _need_."

"Why don't you come tonight with me and I'll give you the basics?"

From the shock alone, Ichigo almost pissed his pants. Then his whole head started to inflame, more out of anger than embarrassment. "Are you fucking kidding me?! That is disgusting!"

Kaien looked and him owlishly. "No, it's human."

"Just shut up!"

Snorting a laugh, Kaien cocked a brow at him. "I was offering a talk, not sex, you know?"

The silence was almost suffocating.

"A talk."

"Just talking."

..

Monday came faster than Ichigo would have liked. He dragged his tired body into his office and slumped down into his chair. A neat, tall tower of folders and files was piled at the edge of his table, greeting him in the worst kind of way he could imagine. At least for a Monday morning, that is.

With five cups of coffee and a piece of leftover-cake from the funeral, he felt refreshed and once he relieved himself in the toilette and splashed ice-cold water in his face, he felt ready to face his boss again.

..

"Okay, I'll take up on your offer."

The blue eyes were locked to the redhead. Perhaps offering a greeting first would have been better. However, this way Ichigo managed to throw him for a loop without further warning. Jaegerjaques seemed to choke on his spit and put his file down again. "Come again," he said after his voice wouldn't crack.

"You offer, your...leg," Ichigo grinned when Grimmjow had the decency to blush a little bit at that.

He cleared his throat rather loudly and fixed him with a glare. "Mr. Kurosaki, I doubt this is a proper way to—"

Ichigo took three large steps and was in front of Grimmjow's desk, leaning over it with a smug grin. " _Grimmjow._ "

"Kursosaki—"

"What about our first name base?"

Grimmjow spluttered a moment until he slammed his fist on his desk and stood abruptly. "What the hell went into you?!"

Ichigo's grin faltered a bit. Kaien went into him. Not physically speaking, of course.

"Get your head out of the gutter! And wipe that stupid grin of your face! You have work of three days waiting for you. Get started on that, will you!"

His former smug grin vanished wholly. Perhaps he should have just ignored the incident last week and everything would have been as it was before. But he just had to take Kaien's advice. Thank you very much.

He let out a resigned sigh, took the folder presented to him and turned on his heel. Just before Ichigo reached the door, Grimmjow called out to him again. Stopping and facing the still closed door, Ichigo waited until Grimmjow approached him and gripped his elbow to turn him around.

"And just tell me, what this was about."

Ichigo huffed. "You're the one obviously with the experience, so blame me for trying."

Grimmjow blinked at him.

"I even got some pep-talk from my cousin to handle your advances. But apparently I did something wrong." Ichigo tried to turn around again, but Grimmjow's grip tightened.

"Wait, wait, wait." He kicked the door close Ichigo had just tried to open again. "So, your escape was to figure that out?"

"My so called 'escape' was still a family emergency."

A snort. "Cut the bullshit!"

"Read the newspaper!"

..

In fact, not every newspaper but those, that actually write a truthful text to the pictures they take, had a rather large news article about the funeral. Considering the dead old man was a ruthless business man with – sadly – too much money to cover his attitude, it was expected that his death would be made public.

..

"Is that you, Kurosaki?" In the cafeteria, Matsumoto held up one of those quality papers, pointing with her painted nails to the photo, where Kaien Shiba (39) stood by the grave of his grandfather and held a commendable farewell speech for the late president. She wasn't the first one over the years who notice the remarkable similarity between Ichigo and his cousin, so he simply cocked a brow and shrugged his shoulders.

"He's got black hair and is more than five years older than I am." He grinned lightly. "Nope. I think not."

Matsumoto pouted and put the paper down. The others on the table stopped what they were doing and tried to get a glimpse of the double on the photo.

"But he looks just like you. Scowl and everything!"

Everyone of his family forced to hold a speech for that man would have made the same expression. That's why they're family.

"Then your brother?"

Ichigo just ignored the question.

The excitement ebbed down a little, until the glasses wearing guy spoke up. "What is it with you anyway? Vanishing from one day to the other and suddenly we're good enough to eat with again?"

"Trouble in paradise?" The lithe man sniggered, trying not very successfully to hide it behind his hand.

Ichigo smiled at them and finished the last of his croque. Because that was his only reaction, the occupants of the table were left dumbfounded. They don't need to know that he somehow took cover in their presence so Grimmjow would spare him in his break. He would have to deal with him during work later anyhow.

And he was right.

"Is that you?" Ichigo looked up from his desk he was working at und saw Grimmjow standing in the door and holding up another quality paper with a similar article about the funeral.

"Nope, black hair, older, not me." Turning back to his files, Ichigo tried to ignore his boss.

The newspaper suddenly fell right in front of his nose, covering the files he needed.

"Not the brunet, the one in the back."

The angle of this photo was different from the one before, and, in fact, Ichigo was seen scowling next to his sisters and the rest of the family.

"Yeah, that would be me."

Grimmjow took the newspaper again and seemed to shift through the text once more, glancing ever so often in Ichigo's direction. "You're the heir of Yamamoto? _The_ Yamamoto?"

"Nope."

A growl. "It's even written in here! The oldest Shiba declined, the youngest Shiba wasn't suited and your father was disinherited. That leaves you!"

"I won't take the heritage."

A silence fell upon them. Until Grimmjow's growl and the slamming of the newspaper broke it. "Are you nuts?! His frickin' company is three times as big as this whole shithole your working for!"

Luckily, Ichigo had enough talks of this kind with other family members and lawyers of his grandfather. He knew where he stood. He knew where he wanted to go. He knew that this godforsaken company was not part of that way.

"You would be surprised how many members of my family have been poisoned by this fucking money; I don't want it, I don't need it. Besides," Ichigo smiled at him. "Are you that desperate to get rid of me?"

Grimmjow looked stunned for a second. His eyes went from the photo to Ichigo and back again. "So, family emergency."

"Yepp."

If Ichigo squinted his eyes a little bit, he would say that Grimmjow looked almost embarrassed.

"Okay."

For a minute, Ichigo waited for Grimmjow to say something and clarify his disyllabic statement again, but Grimmjow rather seemed to wait for a reaction of Ichigo as well. With both men looking at each other dumbly, the redhead was the first to answer: "Okay what?"

"Your acceptance."

"To?"

A sly grin. "My offer."

..

There, it was done. Two grown men made a diplomatic agreement over..what? Ichigo asked himself several times, what he gave his agreement to, because, frankly, nothing happened. At all.

But what to expect in the first place? That Grimmjow locked the door and took Ichigo's sacred manly virginity right on his desk? Well, thankfully not. He didn't get any flowers or small silly – and punishment worthy – presents, no kisses or other signs of affection.

After a whole week, Ichigo wondered if there had been any agreement at all. Maybe the remaining alcohol from the after-funeral-party came seeking through; but whatever had entered his system during that time was pushed out by the endless drive back into the city.

He even picked up their old habit and ate lunch together again – going back to those guys and girls in the cafeteria was out of question anyway. And strangely, everything was as it was before, even though everything should have been different. At least, in Ichigo's opinion.

With some extra hours Ichigo managed to get the unfinished work done and with a kind of nice asking, he was allowed to attend one of his boss's weekly presentations. Instead of remaining the coffee-holder or the backup-guy, he witnessed his boss in action, something he wanted to see for quite a while now.

However...

As soon as the new client stepped into the conference room where Grimmjow stood ready to present anything he had prepared, the client fell into a fit of laughter.

Ichigo tried to exchange a look with Grimmjow, but his boss kept his gaze fixed on the client.

"A cripple?"

The word blew the sounds out of the room like a gunshot, and echoed long after the word was actually said.

"Sir!" the client's assistant choked out.

Ichigo's eyes drifted to Grimmjow, and as if seeing him for the first time, he stared.

Yes, well, Grimmjow was short on one arm.

Still.

Hadn't changed since he started working here.

But now, he _saw_ it again.

Ashamed for openly staring, Ichigo lowered his eyes to the ground, trying to meld in with the pattern of the wall.

The client was lowly scolded by his assistant who apologized this behavior immediately. Unlike Grimmjow's nature, he smiled politely and started his presentation as soon as the client sat in his chair.

..

The whole meeting with its following questions and the discussion about the changes dragged long into the evening and by the time Grimmjow saw his client off, it was dark and the most part of the company building vacated. It was Friday evening, it was expected to be that way.

Grimmjow cleaned the table in the conference room, made his final notes and packed his folders, markers and electronic equipment together. Just when he looked up with his belongings under his arm, he seemed to notice Ichigo still standing motionless against the far wall of the room.

"You coming?" he said after a while.

Without a word both men left and locked the room and rode the elevator to their offices. Ichigo looked sideways to his boss, still standing in the moving elevator and about to open his mouth.

"Just leave it," was everything Grimmjow said, when the elevator reached their floor and Grimmjow all but stormed down the corridor.

In his office, Ichigo slowly shut his computer down and packed his bag and grabbed his car keys. Upon closing his office door, he still saw the small ray of light fitting under the door at the end of the corridor. He sighed once, scratched his head, checked if he still had the other piece of leftover-cake in the white paper bag and got going.

..

Grimmjow sat at his desk and stared at his closed notebook with a look Ichigo couldn't really describe. He was glad that he decided to take a more silent and calm approach instead of bursting into the room and screaming bloody murder. He almost had, back in the conference room, when he overcame his embarrassment and wanted to strangle the client. He would have loved to take a smoke, but exiting the room without getting attention had seemed impossible and he had to calm down without any nicotine.

"Hungry?" he asked into the silent room, making Grimmjow not jump but lift his listless eyes to him. "Got some good leftovers from the weekend. Thought that you're maybe interested in a piece of Frankfurt crown cake-" – a favorite dish of the late grandfather – "-even though the buttercream is so greasy it might come right out of your pores." It was sweet though, and had somehow a calming effect.

Grimmjow didn't seem to be interested and continued staring at his notebook.

Minutes ticked by.

Eventually, Grimmjow answered: "If you want to look at something, go watch TV."

Ichigo cringed at the cold tone but remembered the agreement they had (?) and considered that it may be his free ticket to investigate further.

"Don't ask."

Ichigo hadn't even said anything. "I haven't—"

"And no fucking pity!"

This silenced him. Grimmjow still had this indescribable look, now tinted with anger.

With a huff, Ichigo sat in a chair next to the desk, letting the paper bag fall onto a free place of the tabletop. He knew he wasn't welcome, but there was something else he wanted to get out the whole week anyway. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Were my words not obviously enough?"

"You know," Ichigo began, folding his arms in front of his chest. "Almost two weeks ago, you were completely okay. At least you said so when referring to my consent to your offer. I – the clueless, postern-virginal idiot – waited for you – the perverted butt-pirate – to make a fucking move on me, just to be dismissed like a stale beer."

Grimmjow looked as if he couldn't decide whether to laugh or not. Again.

"Well?"

"What are you expecting?" Grimmjow sounded quite exasperate. "Shall I throw you over the desk and screw you silly?!"

"Would have been a statement, wouldn't it?"

First, Grimmjow looked shocked, then as if he actually started to contemplate that.

"Don't even go there," Ichigo added finally, before his boss could make a move and stand up. "However, why don't you grab your things and I'll drive us home? You look like you need a drink or two."

A pair of furrowed brows. "No pity—"

Ichigo grabbed his tie and yanked him forward before he said anything further. The kiss – more like a clumsy peck on the lips – was the first man-on-man experience Ichigo had. He never would have guessed he would use it to shut someone up though.

It left both of them in a surprised silence.

"I made my move," Ichigo finally said. "No make yours, for Christ's sake."

..

Instead of a bottle of beer, Ichigo opted for one of the many bottles of wine he was forced to take with him from the funeral. He placed two glasses and a corkscrew next to the red wine bottle on the table of his living room before going back to the kitchen where their dinner was warming up. "Open the wine, will you?"

When he came back into his living room with two plates he saw Grimmjow sitting on his couch, opening the bottle almost expertly with his one arm and the help of his knees holding the bottle between them. Without breaking a sweat and dropping onto his white carpet, he filled both glasses. Ichigo smiled.

They clinked glasses, they ate, they talked and laughed. By the time they opened the third bottle of wine, Ichigo had successfully washed his nerves away and considered the time ready, to try for curiosity's sake. Setting the glass down he moved closer to Grimmjow, who just stopped talking about his insane sister and her personal disorder.

"You know what you're doing?" Grimmjow teased with a light smirk.

Ichigo smirked right back, leaning into Grimmjow's body. "Just like being with a girl, my cousin said. Just a little more hairy and demanding."

"Works as long as you keep the clothes on..."

With their first real experimental kisses, Ichigo guessed who had drowned the most part of those three bottles. But it made him more relaxed than he should have been under these circumstances, considering this was his first real homosexual experience with a man he shouldn't be intimidate with.

His hands went on autopilot and run over the heated body under him. However, curves were rare and the smooth skin was too muscled to make the movement as fluid as he was used to. But Grimmjow kissed well. Really well. It had him sighing into the other's mouth, rearranging the grip he had on the others neck and pushing himself more forward for a better angle. His arm tried to keep balance on Grimmjow's left shoulder; just that arm was missing, as was his hold and Ichigo toppled right over into the arm rest.

With a deep groan, Ichigo turned onto his back, lying completely sprawled over his boss' lap. He let a slight drunken laugh out, grinning stupidly. "I'm too drunk," he announced, succeeding in turning Grimmjow's uncomfortable frown into a crooked grin. "Did you drink wine at all?" he asked accusingly.

"Well, _I_ kept count on the glasses." Grimmjow smirked down on him. The dim lights plus alcohol did wonders to Grimmjow's features, making them even more pronounced.

"God, you look fucking gorgeous."

Grimmjow's grin slipped, his features now more dumbfounded than anything. "Okay," he said slowly. "You _had_ too much."

Ichigo shot upwards and almost head-butted Grimmjow. His hands grabbed the other's collar, pulling him more downward. "I'm serious."

"Yeah, seriously drunk."

Huffing in frustration, Ichigo yanked him forward and planted a kiss on his lips. "Even if I was sober and straight I would say you look goddamn good!"

"You changed your sexual orientation quite quickly, didn't you?"

"With such rugged good looks you would make every man or woman reconsidering their orientation."

Grimmjow pushed as far away as Ichigo's sloppy grip allowed him. "Okay, you can stop flattering me now."

Another sly grin: "Just stating a fact."

After a sigh, Grimmjow shook his head slowly. "Please, I don't need to be cheered up, got it? Today was..." His one arm that had supported him until then pushed him further up and grabbed after the wine glass when he got his balance back. "Wasn't the first fucking time anyway."

Well, congratulations. There went the mood.

Ichigo sat up as well but his arm wasn't long enough to reach for his own glass; so he took Grimmjow's right out of his hands instead. "Sorry," he mumbled and handed it empty back.

Grimmjow looked into the glass, arching a brow and putting it and the bottle of wine out of Ichigo's reach at the end of the table.

"Can we continue where we left off?"

Obviously cringing, Grimmjow cleared his throat. "Eh, we should take one step after another." When Ichigo tried to pull him down, he hastily added: "Within a reasonable amount of time!"

"Now?"

Grimmjow pulled the redhead's legs from his lap and sat up more straight. Nope, obviously it wasn't 'now'.

"You smell of booze," Grimmjow argued.

That was always the problem with wine: you always smell of booze right from the first glass. "So do you." Ichigo denied that he sounded whiny.

Giving him an almost apologetic smile, Grimmjow stroked his cheek, kissed his temple and stood. Ichigo followed his motions with glassy eyes, a numb feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. Grimmjow went to grab his jacket from the kitchen counter where he dropped it. "Thanks for dinner; I'll see you on Monday."

The door fell close.

..

Ichigo used the major part of Saturday to nurse his slight hangover and the other part to lift his mood in the nearby arcades he wanted to take Grimmjow the first time. He played pool by himself with a good old lager.

"A young man like you shouldn't be all by himself on a Saturday evening," the owner of the arcades told him, tipping his stripped hat and took another cue to join in the game.

"I'm not alone, good old Budweiser is with me."

Sunday came and went without notice.

Monday wasn't a disappointment, considering Ichigo expected that his boss acted as if nothing had happened on Friday. They fell into their old pattern all too easily and Ichigo wondered whether that was worth it. But they still had a job that slapped on their wrists. No time for distractions. Separation of work and private life, thank you very much.

Shuuhei approached him in the middle of the week. They had talked often over the days, but usually it considered the files and documents they were working on.

This time, however, Shuuhei made sure nobody was nearby, when he closed the door to his office and confronted Ichigo.

"Did something happen?" he asked without beating around the bush.

Ichigo shrugged his shoulders and lowered the folder he was skipping through.

"I mean, between you and Jaegerjaques?"

He wondered whether he could call it 'happen' anyway. Friday was still as a fiasco imprinted in his memories and he cringed every time thinking back. "Nothing special, I guess." Better to stay vague; it would save his pride a little bit.

"Don't get me wrong, but Jaegerjaques is acting strange." Jaegerjaques was a nutcase; his inter-personal communication skills had improved (Ichigo never really received the end of his anger anymore – not since the first incident at least) and he could be quite charming, but he still had some major problems brooding in the back of this blue-haired head.

"When you disappeared to the funeral, he was spitting fire at anyone who came within striking distant. Not that he wasn't ill-tempered with a short detonation line before, but that was just worse. You came back and..." Shuuhei hemmed and hawed. Not knowing what to say, he seemed to try another way. "Do you have seen him smiling?"

More than once. And it always left him with a sappy feeling in the stomach. "Once or twice," Ichigo admitted, even though it was an underestimation.

"You don't really wanna talk about it, do you?" Shuuhei sighed after a while, grabbing a stack of the work he was on.

Ichigo smiled apologetically, took his share and fled into the corridor.

..

It was Friday, late evening, that found Ichigo pressed against the wall of his office with Grimmjow devouring every inch of his mouth. Apparently last week wasn't as much of a fiasco as originally feared.

Slightly out of breath, both stared at each other, a mischievous look in those blue eyes.

"Sorry," Grimmjow said, stroking with his one hand the other's cheek. "Couldn't resist anymore."

If Ichigo wasn't so breathless, he would have demanded where the attention had been the rest of the week.

"Your place or mine?"

..

This time, Ichigo almost drank nothing. Nothing alcoholic that is. The result was that he was so giddy and nervous that he knocked over the red wine and ruined Grimmjow's carpet. He was too agitated to remember to use salt to get the stain out – Grimmjow obviously didn't know.

He was just about to call it a night and spare further embarrassment when Grimmjow pulled him back onto the couch and did.. stuff.

Frankly, Ichigo had been with girls before but hardly any of them was able to leave him so breathless and jelly-legged afterwards. Usually, those specific ladies weren't really fond of oral play anyway, so his experience with that had been quite limited. He stayed half of the night in his afterglow with Grimmjow lazily draped over his body.

"You liked it?"

Ichigo just grinned stupidly.

..

So Friday night was their night.

It would take some weeks before Ichigo was comfortable enough to survive those nights without the help of spirit. He – even reluctantly –accepted this on-off situation during the week and weekends.

Just...sometimes, after work, maybe on a Tuesday or Wednesday, when he sat on his couch nursing a beer, and he let his gaze drift to the calendar near the kitchen entrance and saw that he already stayed five months in this city and his only acquaintances were his boss/lover(?), his collogue and a weird arcade owner, he felt as if he was something missing out. Even the few calls in the week from his family didn't really help to fill the spot that was reserved for the people dearest to him.

That's why it was just a matter of time when Ichigo felt the pull to leave his apartment on Thursday, took his car and drove to his boss's home.

It was a small house, two stories high for four living units with a cute fence parting the street and the little garden. Ichigo never met any of the neighbors during the couple of times he came here; a fact, Grimmjow approved of. Obviously that guy liked his privacy too much. According to the dark windows in the other partitions, they were either out or asleep already.

A small surprise came after ringing the door bell, and instead of the blue-haired guy opening the entrance door, a tall woman stood there. She smiled politely, but obviously confused.

Ichigo didn't even know what to say. Instead of mumbling an apology and running off, he blurted out that he wanted to see Grimmjow. He had no idea whether that was a mistake. However, the lady smiled more brightly and ushered him inside.

"It's so unusual for him to get any guest. But I'm glad you're here!"

Ichigo felt a little bit better hearing that, even though more uncomfortable as well. Especially after he entered the living room and saw Grimmjow openly staring at him as if Ichigo was a green three-headed freak.

"You never told me you had a friend around here!" She punched the blue-haired man lightly on his shoulder and vanished into the kitchen. "Do you want something to drink? Milk, Tea, Coffee?"

"He just wanted to leave."

Ichigo cringed.

"Shut up, Grimm." She poked her head around the corner. After some rummaging through the cabinets she came back with a tray and several cups filled with liquid. "You didn't say anything, so I made just something." There were six cups but just three people. "Won't you introduce us?" She asked with a sharp undertone when she sat right next to him.

"Well," he sighed out loud. "Ichigo, this is Neliel, my sister; Nel, this is...Ichigo." He took one of the six cups that looked like hot milk. Arching a brow at the still standing Ichigo, he beckoned him to sit on the armchair.

The usual small talk followed; where did they meet, when, how, work, free time, relationships. The last topic let both men cringe.

"I'm..unattached," Ichigo said as Grimmjow excused himself to use the bathroom, and took one of the last cups.

"Oh, hard to believe!" Neliel smiled, eating one of the crackers she brought in a small classic metal box. "If you're interested, I know a _sweet_ guy who might just suit you!" A giggle. "His exterior is a bit gruff but he's sweet and charming on the inside."

Ichigo smiled politely.

Grimmjow came back, drying his one hand on the back of his jeans.

"Oh, there he is!" Neliel laughed out loud, giving Ichigo a wink.

Giving his sister a distrusting look, he failed to notice Ichigo smiling up to him.

They talked until ten o'clock rolled around, making Neliel sigh and stand up from her spot beside her brother.

"I'm leaving tomorrow quite early, so if you need anything—"

"I got it, I got it," Grimmjow bit back. "Everything's okay."

Neliel frowned worriedly, but shrugged it off after a while. "I'll be back by Sunday, so don't make any mess around here."

"Yes, mother," he grumbled, throwing a slightly embarrassed look in Ichigo's direction. "Now leave it."

She shrugged again, bent down to kiss his temple –much to Grimmjow's mortification – and disappeared behind a door, apparently going to bed.

"She cares for you," Ichigo smiled, feeling the familiar connection of two family members.

"Pain in the ass," his boss complained while rubbing the spot she had kissed almost feverishly.

"Be lucky she takes care of you."

The blue eyes glowered dangerously. "She better takes care of her own family. Her own kid and husband should be more important than her cripple-brother."

They stayed silent for a couple of minutes, drinking up the remains of their cups and enjoying the silence – Neliel was nice, but had a voice to shatter glass.

"Why did you come anyway?"

Ichigo shrugged helplessly. "Lack of family?"

..

When they met up the next evening, Grimmjow barely got a welcome kiss as Ichigo already pulled his car into motion and drove off. To his surprise, he didn't go the direct way to Ichigo's flat but pulled the car down another small road, stopping in front of a decently lit, average building. To Grimmjow's confused expression, Ichigo just smiled and pulled him out of his car and through the entrance.

The ground floor was loud and nerve-killing. Several gaming machines were occupied by teens that pretended to be older even though they didn't even develop any facial hair, let alone any other hair besides that adorning their head. Grimmjow's face fell, all about to turn round and go the same way back to the car, when Ichigo pulled him up an undistinguished staircase leading to the upper floor.

As soon as the door fell close, all the noise was blocked out and a small area with a pool table, several mostly unoccupied tables, an old styled seating area and a well stocked bar was presented to them. Covering the bar was a wide balcony, doubling the area to sit and play and helping to get the room an open but cozy atmosphere.

Grimmjow liked it and he looked like it.

A clapping interrupted the investigation of the new area and Ichigo and Grimmjow turned to see a blond man standing behind the bar and smiling up to them.

"Congratulations, Mr. Kurosaki," he said with a carefree expression. "I almost lost hope that you won't find anyone. I'm glad that you proved me wrong!"

They ordered beer and burgers and took a seat next to the wooden bay windows in the far corner of the balcony. A table of pool stood right next to them.

"Arcades?"

Ichigo shrugged and nipped on his beer. "Well, the lower part is for sure. I haven't found a name for this upper part though." The atmosphere was like that of a pub, the furniture was a mixture of Irish pub and western saloon, the food could be compared to a high class American diner and the drinks seem to come right from a club or an exclusive restaurant. Not to forget the entertainment options.

Obviously, the owner wanted everything at once.

And obviously he couldn't get everything because he was the one wearing a pink apron and serving their food. Grimmjow hid his snort into his glass of beer.

"Here you go, my boys!"

It took them no time to dove into their meal, devouring it in record time. No wonder; they were the best burgers Grimmjow ever ate, he voiced out, washing them down with another pinch of delicious dark beer. Easy to eat as well because his hand was big enough to grip the enormous thing at once.

"Ever cared for pool?"

Ichigo couldn't help but smile crookedly when he noticed Grimmjow's reaction. His boss eyed the table and inspected the stump of his missing arm.

"Well, you tell me how to play with one arm and I answer your question."

They had to experiment a little bit; not that any of them had tried it before. But they concluded that Ichigo will act as his missing limp, comfortably pressed into Grimmjow's left side and coordinating the cue, and Grimmjow tried to level his strength and knock the balls with the right amount of speed.

"You're pushing too hard!"

"I wanted to knock the blue one, not the red one!"

Ichigo sighed. "Grimmjow, we're playing together, not against each other."

"Could have fooled me!" he grumbled out and measured the next ball. He got a slight hang of it, Ichigo noted, but he was as bad in pool as he was with bowling. Each their own, wasn't it?

He rearranged his grip on Grimmjow, trying to locate which one they would take next. "The orange one," Grimmjow stated, his body slightly bowed to aim better. Ichigo tried to measure the angle they needed to hit the ball, his privates comfortable pressed against Grimmjow's thigh. Grimmjow paused, apparently still measuring his strength. He wiggled his hips.

Then a shit-eating grin split his lips.

"Happy to see me or does pool get you going? Hitting balls and all?"

Ichigo snorted out loud. He let go of the cue and, without ceremony, grabbed the blue haired man's jewels. Grimmjow choked on his laugh, apparently not expecting such a move. "What about you? Same question."

They stopped, then grinned at each other.

"Your place's far?"

"Just a couple of minutes."

..

They managed the way back demurely, even locking the door and entering the living room without any escapades. When they stood next to each other facing the large window covering the other side of the room, a tense silence fell upon them.

"Your turn," Ichigo grinned up to him.

"Really?"

It was the first time Ichigo had seen him actually naked. Frankly, he saw many parts of him naked – improving his growing knowledge about the things he started doing – even situations that covered his privates, Grimmjow's and one big skilled hand...but that was another story.

Now, kissing feverishly and unbuttoning clothes and letting them fall and worshipping each other. It was a huge step to actually go the whole way, but Grimmjow had prepared him thoroughly during the last weeks, a fact, that Grimmjow's patience and thoughtfulness were remarkable despite his actual short temper and foul mood.

The scar of his missing arm was huge. Not a single part of the limb was left, leaving his shoulder free to move but without his usual counterpart. The skin was still a little limp, the scar knotting it together, but old and fully healed. It should have happened years ago.

Ichigo kissed his way from Grimmjow's neck to his left shoulder, nipping and biting on his way. His hand hesitated at first, but eventually touched the unusual part, excusing his boldness with some more kisses.

"Don't," Grimmjow's eyes seemed to glow in the dim light, his smile crooked, but there. "That fucking thing will just ruin the mood." He rolled them over, successfully covering his still sensitive body part. Just when they lay next to each other, Grimmjow seemed to find his balance to use his hand for more explorations, curling around hips, rounded buttocks, further down.

Ichigo's breathe hitched when those fingers reached him, and stuffed the noise he was making by pressing more kisses onto the other's skin.

..

It was well past midnight when Ichigo nursed a cold beer and sat on the arm chair of his living room. He inhaled the smoke of his cigarette and blew it out of his nose again. He winced ever so often.

Grimmjow came out of the bathroom, clad in boxer shorts and a loose t-shirt. He grabbed a beer from the kitchen and stood in front of the window.

"You should have told me that it might be this unpleasantly."

Grimmjow cringed. "I'm sorry." He looked sincere enough.

Ichigo shifted on his extra cushion, trying to keep the pain as low as possible. He stubbed out his cigarette and eyed the other man."Hand me another beer, will you?" Grimmjow gave him his own and sat on the couch as close as possible.

"I can get you a painkiller."

"Na," Ichigo clicked his tongue. "I keep my fingers off mixing medicine with alcohol."

"A massage?"

Ichigo arched a brow. "With one arm?"

"I can kiss it better."

This time, Ichigo actually snorted out loud. "You tried that before." And received a well aimed elbow in his face for it. Grimmjow looked at him like a kicked puppy and Ichigo couldn't help himself but lean forward and smack his lips noisily. "Is okay," he reassured him, giving him a grin. "I'll phone my cousin tomorrow. Maybe we've done something wrong?"

Now Grimmjow looked hurt and offended as Ichigo just insulted his competence.

Trying to stand without wincing too much, Ichigo flopped right back into Grimmjow's lap, suppressing the next sound of pain that almost escaped his lips.

"Just give me a goddamn handjob so that I came tonight, too," Ichigo murmured into his neck after he slung his right arm around his boss's shoulders. Whatever resided in Grimmjow's loose boxers came back to live and poked the redhead's right butt cheek by the mention of sexual activities right after the obvious flop in the bedroom. "And _please_ ," he stressed. "Just a handjob. My lower passage is abused enough as it is."

"Works for me," Grimmjow assured him.

With a skilled hand playing down there, Ichigo rested his head on the other's shoulder, a hum of contentment leaving his throat. Blue mischievous eyes looked down on him.

They grinned at each other.

"You frickin' tripod."

..

End.


End file.
